A Reunion of Sorts
by xXThePrincessXx
Summary: When the Queen of Ferelden goes to check in with an old friend, she finds more than she bargained for.
1. The Trip

_Hey there everyone! This is my first attempt at Fanfiction, I hope it has some semblence of sense. _

_I own **nothing**. Bioware owns all._

_Enjoy!_

_**I've made some edits to this so hopefully it reads a little better!**_

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><p>The Trip<p>

Alistair slumped into a chair by the fireplace. That trip was completely pointless. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maker, but what was he going to do? A hand squeezed his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see his wife smiling down at him.

"Not a good trip huh?" He couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Not so much." He sighed. "Kirkwall is in chaos." She snorted.

"Isn't everything lately?" She moved away from him and stood closer to the fire. He nodded in agreement.

"It is our luck right? But this was worse than I had expected. There is no viscount in Kirkwall, no one in power. Knight Commander Meredith seems to be running things, but no one is particularly happy about it." Alistair shuddered. "I can see why," he muttered to himself.

"No one is happy these days." Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "Here they think that you are some imposter put on the throne so that I can have a crack at power… Like I haven't had enough experience with leadership in my life." She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Ungrateful bastards. They forget what we did for them, what we sacrificed for them to live in their cushy little houses…" She drew a deep breath. "Anyways, back to your lovely little trip. Surely it wasn't all bad?" He puzzled over this question before he responded.

"Well, there were a few… surprises," he started slowly. Alice merely raised an eyebrow in response. He sighed before continuing. "I saw Anders there." Her other eyebrow shot to meet its companion on her forehead.

"Really?" He couldn't read her expression. "He was supposed to be dead. Or gone in a permanent sort of way… How very interesting. Did he recognize you?" Alistair chuckled darkly at this.

"Oh, he recognized me. Some smart remark about me being a Warden. I threw him the same question, but he brushed it off just as I did." Alistair cocked his head to the side. "I suppose that means he's left your service now." Alice dismissed this comment with a swat of her hand, moving on.

"Who was he with?"

"Hawke. The powerhouse of Kirkwall it seems. I did some background research on her." His wife looked impressed. He grinned. "I know, crazy right? Anyway, she came out of Loethring, left when the darkspawn attacked," he paused, trying to shake the guilt that grew in the pit of his stomach every time he thought of the little village they had left to rot in the darkspawn filth. "She has made quite a name for herself in Kirkwall. Worked her way up from nothing, retook her family's old estate and pushed the Qunari out to become the Champion of Kirkwall." He gazed at his wife for a second before adding, "She reminds me of someone." Alice smiled and looked away, into the fire, a light pink touching her cheeks. When was the last time he had seen her this modest, Alistair wondered. Probably their wedding day, Alice had never really been one for attention, despite all of her accomplishments. He was pulled from his reminiscence by her voice.

"It sounds like you've developed a bit of a crush, Alistair." He looked up sharply.

"What? No! Never! How could—There is no way—that is not even—!" He spluttered, jumping to his feet. Her face was so serious; his mind scrambled for some sort of response as he closed the distance between them in two steps and wrapped her in his arms. At the sound of her laughter, he jumped, startled.

"Oh, Alistair. You never cease to amaze me." He pulled back slightly, taking in her smiling face. "We've known each other for, what, ten years? We've been married for eight and you still don't seem to know me very well sometimes." She buried her face in his chest for a moment before looking up at him again, expression soft. "You seem just like the little, bashful boy I met at Ostagar all those years ago." He pulled her closer to him.

"'Seem' is the key word in that sentence I believe," He paused before continuing. "Surely I'm not _exactly_ as I was back then?" He let the question hang in the air, wriggling his eyebrow down at her. She laughed, and then pushed away from him.

"Oh sure, because you never _ever_ tripped all over yourself _at all_ back then to make sure not to upset me." She had turned her back to him, but he snatched her arm and pulled her back to him in a flash.

"That's not what I meant." His voice took on a husky tone. She stared up at him in earnest contemplation, her pale blue eyes running over his face. A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

"Well, I suppose you aren't _entirely_ the same…" He smiled down at her before leaning in for a kiss. She let it linger for a while before pulling away.

"So, Anders was with this Hawke character… does that mean your little jealousy spell has ended?" Alistair was amazed at how well she could pull off that innocent look. She really should have been an actress.

"That man," he growled his eyes dark, "is more trouble than he's worth." Alice cocked her head to the side, considering her husband. She stretched up on her toes and kissed his cheek before saying,

"Perhaps, but he has nothing on you, dear." She smiled and then extricated herself from his grasp to go get a glass of wine. His face scrunched up in a look of confusion that never failed to make her melt inside. He was just so adorable when he was bewildered.

"Umm thanks? I think?" He shook his head. "I suppose my 'jealousy spell', as you say, is over, he wasn't exactly hiding his interest in Hawke when I saw him." Alice laughed as she poured two glasses of wine.

"He was never very discrete about his feelings was he?" She didn't have to turn around to see what Alistair's face must have looked like as his he spoke again in a dark voice.

"No. The last time I saw him his eyes were all over you, he had no sense of propriety. I almost slipped on the drool as I came up. Did he fail to notice how everyone addressed you and I? Did he miss the whole wedding announcement thing? Did he miss that I am the _damn_ king and you are my _damn_ queen?" Alice turned around, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Well, well, I didn't know I was anyone's property." Alice raised an eyebrow at him. Alistair's face fell a little bit.

"That's not what I meant. I—" He couldn't think of what to say. Alice shushed him with a chuckle, handing him his glass of wine.

"You're so cute when you're jealous, you know that?" Alistair blushed, refusing to look his wife in the face. "I still remember that conversation, years ago, when you questioned me about Zevran." His blush deepened. Alice giggled. "It was just _adorable_ how flustered you were when I caught on to your barely concealed questions of jealousy. There was no need to worry, I assure you." She made a face at the thought of Zevran's vulgar advances. He was a good friend, but he was far too over the top in his pursuit of her attention.

"Yes well, I had to be sure didn't I? I couldn't have the woman I love getting all caught up in that elf's… presence." She offered him a small smile before taking a sip of wine. They were quiet for a time, Alice wrapped an arm around herself and stared into the fire, Alistair watched her. He couldn't help himself really. The way the fire glowed off of her golden hair, creating a halo around her head was just mesmerizing. He wondered whether this habit was a product of the days of the Blight, when he had no idea of whether he would see her alive after the next battle that was always just around the corner. His eyes had a habit of drinking in her face, memorizing every feature, filing away all of the little emotions that crossed it as she thought. He didn't really notice when she began to return his gaze, a smile on her lips and light dancing in her eyes.

"What?" She asked quietly. He bit his lip, only half smiling in return.

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The look you always get when you're planning something. Something I'm not usually supportive of." She grinned into the fire before looking back at him.

"I want to go to Kirkwall."


	2. Acceptance

_I own **nothing**. Bioware owns all._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>Acceptance<p>

Alistair was taken aback. Why would she want to go there?

"I don't think you do." His face was completely serious, a rarity that made Alice pause before answering.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I do. Why, what is so terrible about it there?" Alistair shifted on his feet, looking at the ground.

"It- it isn't safe."

"Oh, because the issue of _safety_ has stopped me so many times before." Alice snorted.

"You don't understand. Everyone is on edge. Apostates run rampant around the city; many of them blood mages—"

"Is that your professional, templar opinion?" Her tone was still light, but there was an edge to her voice that was barely noticeable. If Alistair hadn't known her for so long, he would have thought that she was only joking. He shook his head.

"It's just that… well, they aren't darkspawn. The problems of Kirkwall cannot be outmaneuvered or cut down for you to get what you want." He sighed. "I know you can handle yourself, that much is obvious." He smiled at her, a little sheepishly. "I just don't like the idea of you going away is all. It makes me… nervous. Old habits die hard, I guess." He shrugged. Alice's countenance shifted, her expression softening. She came over to him, reaching up to touch his cheek.

"I'll be fine. What's a few blood mages in the face of an impossibly large horde of darkspawn?" She smiled up at him before kissing him. He pulled her closer, running his fingers through her hair just before she pulled away. There was an almost evil glint in her eye as she looked up at him. Not that his wife could e_ver _be considered evil…

"Is that a yes then? Will my king let me go and visit Kirkwall?" He groaned.

"As if I would be able to stop you." He almost missed her squeal of glee. How something so feminine could come from her he could not fathom. She gave him another quick kiss before hurrying over to the door that led to her chambers.

"I haven't left the palace in _ages_!" She said as she hefted the door open and disappeared behind it. Her voice echoed back to him the farther she got from the door. "I think the last time I left was…. Hmmm… seven years ago? Must have been. Nathaniel has been doing a splendid job in Amaranthine, almost eliminating my job completely…" Her voice trailed off. Alistair shook his head, amused, and drained his glass. He was definitely going to need more wine for this.

It wasn't like he kept her locked in the palace or anything; in fact they frequently left it. But she was never overly fond of the whole public appearance thing, always reverting back to her strange modesty. Or maybe it was the fact that she was required to wear a dress… and weapons weren't allowed, not for her to carry anyway. He sighed as he filled his glass to the brim with dark liquid. He could understand her excitement though. It had been far too long since he had fought anything, _killed_ anything. He didn't mind too much, the politics of the court were enough of a battlefield that his stress levels were about the same as they were when he had fought the Blight… only his new battles were with words. He often thought that Alice had gotten the better deal, becoming the Commander of the Grey, heading off to Amaranthine and defeating some chillingly intelligent darkspawn. It was more than he'd gotten since becoming king. He gulped down some of his wine, leaving the glass about half empty. Or was it half full? He couldn't decide with his mood. He frowned. If he wasn't careful, he may end up convincing himself that he should join her, using his charm and good looks to get into her good graces so she would allow him to come. All to get a taste of battle.

But Eamon would have a heart attack for sure. The whole Amaranthine business had scared him far more than was necessary, but Alistair supposed that that was what came with looking after both the king _and_ queen of Ferelden. He had never volunteered for the job and he was sure that Alice had only become queen so that she could stay with him. The thought made him smile, even after all these years. They were so alike, despite the fact that Alice had been brought up in the presence of the court and knew the formalities and manners of nobility. She just wasn't cut out for it. Her patience was not adequate enough to deal with the antics of nobles, so she was rarely there for the important meetings about national affairs. No, she stayed in the background and listened to him lamented over why he had ever agreed to this awful job. That was all the farther she was involved in court politics. Alice would have made a splendid politician if she had been blessed with more tolerance of stupidity along with a different sense of humor. Alistair often found himself considering some of her advice more seriously than he should have. She delighted in the many quirks of the teryns and arls of the court, telling him to act in such a way as to make them all rise in rebellion against him in a second. She would have rather had them all at each other's throats over the silly things that she had planted in their imaginations rather than to having them at each other's throats over the trivial things that they imagined by themselves and having to cater to their "needs" to keep the country in one piece.

This was the principle reason why he needed her here. Alice's sense of humor was about the only thing that kept him sane. He had never wanted to be king, but the job had grown on him despite its severe drawbacks. He cared for his people a great deal, but those that represented them were altogether too much. Alice's opinion of them and their actions kept him in reality. She kept him grounded and out of the inane little world they called "Ferelden" where hypocrisy was their main attraction. He sighed as he thought this. This was why he didn't want to see her go. The trip to Kirkwall was long, so even if she only stayed for a week, she would be gone for more than a month. But there was really nothing he could do to stop her. The woman was a brick wall once she had made up her mind. He was sure that her stubbornness was actually what killed the Archdemon, not any kind of skill in swordplay. He chuckled to himself at this thought, but quickly composed his face as he heard Alice returning. There was an awful lot of clanking coming  
>from the open doorway, and he was going to check it out when Alice appeared, weighed down with a lot of...crap.<p>

"What _is_ all that?" Alistair couldn't keep a note of disgust from his tone. With a crash, she dropped everything on the floor. He flinched at the sound, only wondering what the servants would think of _that_ at this time of night.

"It's all my armor and weapons from the 'good old days'!" She exclaimed, clearly excited. Yes, he was going to need a lot more wine for this. He quickly finished his glass and refilled it as Alice began sorting through the pile on the floor.

"Oooh look at this!" She hefted some reddish-purple armor into the air. "Do you remember this?" Her eyes sparkled in the most irresistible way. Alistair walked over and sat in his chair, putting his elbows on his knees so he could get a closer look at the armor.

"Is that the armor you wore in the Battle of Denerim? Wade's famous drake scale _plate_ armor?" He asked, surprised at how good it looked.

"Yeah! How cool is that?" She beamed, turning the armor this way and that, inspecting every inch of it. "Do you think it still fits?" She enquired, looking at him eagerly.

"As if you've gained any weight." He snorted. The way the woman ate, he was surprised at how she seemed to have _lost_ weight since they met rather than _gained_ it.

"Hey, you never know. _Things_ happen." She glanced away quickly. Alistair considered this remark for a split second. Was she really saying… _really?_

"Maker's breath, are you telling me you're pregnant?" Alistair's voice rose in a mixture of excitement and apprehension. The subject of providing an heir for the throne had been dominated their conversations over the past year or so, their people were getting antsy.

"Oh Maker no." She replied, waving the subject away. "I just wanted to see what your reaction would be." She gave him a devilish smile. When he didn't react, her face fell. "Well it's not like we haven't been _trying_. For the love of the Maker, don't look at me like that! I'll start to feel bad." She pouted.

"It would have been nice though." Alistair murmured, looking into his glass of wine. She reached up and put a hand on his knee, giving it a squeeze.

"I know. It would be nice." They shared a solemn silence before Alice's mood returned to a bubbling excitement.

"I don't know if I like this style anymore… I might just need to get some new armor altogether. I'm sure Wade won't mind." She placed the armor aside and continued digging, flinging different pieces of armor into different piles.

"Here, Alistair, look at this." Without looking up, she handed him a rather battered old shield. He turned it over, and then ran his hand over the Chantry symbol emblazoned on its front.

"My old templar shield." His voice was a bit flat, his face emotionless. "Why do you have this? I thought you got rid of it after we bought all of those supplies from that traveling merchant near the Circle." He looked down at her until she met his gaze.

"I thought you'd like to keep it since you had it for so long. I thought it might have some sort of sentimental value for you." She seemed disappointed.

"I never liked that templar training. Sure the fighting stuff came in handy, but the whole lot of them were too bloody serious and righteous all the time. The Maker must have gotten fed up with my prayers for a savior. Duncan seemed to fulfill that request well enough." He dropped the shield onto a nearby pile of stuff that he thought was destined for the trash. Alice quickly snatched it back, cradling it to her chest, her face dark, eyes accusing. "What?" He said, clearly confused.

"You can't look past the templar days? I mean, you must have had this shield for months and months before I came along and gave you a new one."

"Sure, I had it for a while after Duncan recruited me. But it's just a shield Alice, no more, no less." She looked down at the shield in her arms. After a moment, she muttered something unintelligible and placed it with the dragon plate armor.

"Pardon?" Alistair asked, leaning closer to her so that he could hear what she said.

"I said, 'You had that when we first met.'" She looked up at him, a touch of sadness in her eyes. He looked at her quizzically. Then it dawned on him.

"You're a sentimentalist!" He said quietly. "You are a sentimentalist!" He repeated triumphantly when she didn't respond. She crossed her arms defiantly across her chest.

"So what if I am?" Her expression made him laugh. He bent down and kissed her cheek.

"I think it's cute." He saw her fight against the smile that played across her lips, a battle she ultimately lost.

"Yeah well, don't tell anyone. I don't think it very becoming of the Hero of Ferelden, Commander of the Grey to be a 'sentimentalist', as you put it." She returned to sorting. He contented himself with watching; occasionally remarking on how good something looked or how he remembered purchasing a certain item. The pile had dwindled to mostly weapons by the time that Alice handed him something else.

"How about this?" She said, watching his expression. He took another shield in his hand, this one in better shape, if only a little dusty from its stay in Alice's storage. He stared for a long time at the griffon engraved on its front, tracing its outline with a finger.

"It's Duncan's shield." He whispered, tearing his eyes away from it only to give his wife a quick look. "I didn't know you still had this." She smiled and said.

"Of course I do, I would never be able to get rid of something that means so much to you." At this, Alistair turned his gaze on her, taking in her earnest expression.

"Huh. What a lucky man I am. How did I get you?" He murmured. She blushed and muttered.

"Oh stop. You're getting all mushy on me."

"What else do you have?" He said, expressing interest in the small pile of arms and armor at his feet for the first time. She beamed and rummaged in the bottom of the pile. She dragged some ratty looking armor out from between a heavy looking shield and a massive long sword. She flung it at him and waited expectantly for a response.

"No way!" He exclaimed, shooting her a surprised look. "No way!" Alistair lifted the armor, letting it unfold to glint in the firelight. It looked dreadful; there was almost no padding left between the sections of splintmale. He admired it for a little while before he held it next to his face, turning to his wife and asking,

"Do you think it still fits?" She burst out laughing.

"Oh, I don't know, it might be a tight fit." Alistair looked scandalized, resulting in more laughter from his wife.

"But seriously," he said, his face solemn. Alice's laughter cut off abruptly as she looked at her husband in confusion.

"Um, I don't know perhaps we could get it fitted…?" It was Alistair's turn to laugh. "I doubt Eamon would approve of his Royal Highness, King Alistair Theirin," his voice took on a ridiculous tone, imitating the stuffy old caller at all of the royal events. Alice giggled as he continued. "Husband to the great and mighty Hero of Ferelden, Commander of the Grey and Arlessa of Amaranthine, Alice Cousland-Theirin, walk around in this old splintmale." Alistair's voice returned to normal as he finished his sentence. Alice shrugged.

"Whatever pleases you, O King of Ferelden." Alistair shot her a look of disgust as she returned to her pile of old relics. As she finished sorting the last few rusted out shields and swords, Alistair gazed on the pile of things that she had set aside. It was not large, but as he looked on each of them, he relived the times that he relied on those items to save his life. He lost himself in the memories of the Blight for the first time in a long time. Those had not been his best days, despite the luck he had had in finding and keeping his wife.

"Hello?" Alistair shook his head as Alice pulled him from his memories. She was waving a hand in front of his face. "When can we go and see Wade?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"Not for a few days I should think. All of my lovely advisors will want to know what the goings on of Kirkwall are so that they can plan appropriately. I'll see if I can work a hole into my schedule soon." Alice pouted. "Besides, I don't know if Wade is even here. Maker knows what he could be doing since you encouraged him with all of those rare materials in Amaranthine. He's probably trying to make some armor out of diamonds as we speak." Alice pouted some more.

"Well call him back here. You are the king after all."

"And you are the queen. You can certainly call him back here if you want to."

"Really? I can call him back to Denerim?" Alice beamed. Alistair rolled his eyes.

"I swear woman, you must give me lessons in acting all innocent. You have a natural talent." Alice stood and kissed Alistair's cheek before going over to the desk by the window. As she scribbled a letter, surely demanding Wade back in Denerim before the end of the week, Alistair took in the mess before him.

"Should we clean this up?" He asked, looking dubiously at the pile of great swords by his foot.

"No, just leave it. I can clean it up in the morning." Alice stood behind him and he had to fight his startled jump. She really needed to teach him how to sneak up on people like that too. It would really come in handy…

"I missed you." She said, leaning over his shoulder to kiss him. He was surprised by this change of pace. His hand cupped her face and he pulled her closer. When they parted, he looked at her and said.

"Oh really?"

"Yes really." She smiled at him and leaned in for another kiss. Alistair put a finger to her lips, stopping her.

"Nope, not until _this_ is picked up." He gestured to the pile of stuff surrounding him. Alice groaned.

"You're going to kill the mood Alistair."

"What mood?" He looked up at her, his eyes wide in innocence.

"I. Missed. You." She punctuated each word with a kiss that lasted longer each time.

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is cleaning up this mess." Alistair remarked after the last kiss. Alice sighed in obvious frustration.

"Must I spell it out for you?"

"You're so cute when you're mad, did you know that?" Alistair grinned as he stood and pulled her in the direction of the bed


	3. Kirkwall

_So I'm back! I've had a few chapters written up and ready to go for a while, but I was too lazy to upload. Another chapter should be up soon!_

_I own **nothing** BioWare owns all._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>Kirkwall<p>

Alice took a deep breath of the fresh, sea air. It was good to feel the wind on her face. She had never ridden on a ship before. She loved the feeling of freedom that came with her mode of travel. The prow of the ship was cutting cleanly through the waves, the clear sunlight bathing everything in a happy light, the sea and sky merging into the perfect shade of blue off on the horizon. Her mabari, Cookie, placed his front paws on the rail beside her, his tongue lolling from the side of his mouth as he looked up at her.

"Isn't this nice boy? Nothing here to stop us. Nothing here at all." Cookie barked happily in response, but still stared up at her. "What? I'm fine." If it was at all possible, the dog looked skeptical. "Really, I'm fine!" With a snort the mabari stepped off of the railing and padded away across the deck. "As if I couldn't be fine in these conditions," Alice muttered under her breath as she watched her dog walk away. He had been Alistair's only condition for the trip. Cookie had to travel with her at all times. As if Alistair would know whether or not Cookie came with her… But the more she thought about it, the more she thought that Cookie would find some way of ratting her out. She seriously wondered sometimes who exactly was his master. Any time Alistair was around, it was a given that Cookie followed his every order. Alice sighed and leaned forward on the rail, bending out over the water as far as she could. She supposed it wasn't that bad of a deal though. It was kind of Alistair to let her have her little trip. She knew that he needed her to make his job seem less crazy and meaningless. It wasn't as though he hadn't tried to change her mind though. He had detained her for a full month since his return. He blamed it on his schedule, saying that there was absolutely no room for a visit to Wade for another six months. She had had to put on her "Commander of the Grey Face" to get him to let her go. But even that had only gotten her so far.

He had held her for a good ten to fifteen minutes before letting her board the ship. He pressed his face into her hair and kissed the top of her head just be for he let her go.

"I'll miss you," he murmured in her ear. "Please be careful." He kissed her and then let her go, watching her every movement as the ship left the port. There had been such sadness in his eyes, even a trace amount of pain. That had been nearly a week ago. She wondered for a moment what he would be doing now. She glanced up at the sky, but couldn't tell if it would be around the same time in Denerim as it was here. Either way, it was most likely that Alistair would be alone somehow; whether it was that he was physically sitting alone in the palace or emotionally detached from those around him. She could only hope that he had kept himself busy enough to keep from dwelling on her absence. Alice shook her head. She needed to stop her train of thought quickly or she would become depressed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the rocking of the ship, the wind pulling at her hair. She lost herself in the moment to avoid losing herself in the past.

Alice stepped off of the boat, her left hand absently scratching behind Cookie's ears. She looked around the bustle of the docks, tracking many people as they went about their business. It was an old habit of hers; her eyes followed anyone who was a potential threat. She was bumped from behind and her right hand strayed to her dagger. She looked over her shoulder, but she couldn't tell who had bumped her. _Relax_, she told herself, taking a deep breath. She straightened up and strode forward confidently. She weaved her way through the impatient people, reaching Lowtown in a matter of minutes. She made her way easily through the skinny streets of Lowtown, trying to keep a low profile. But when she made it to the market area, she found that she would stick out like a sore thumb. She had been fine in the back alleys of Lowtown where there were few people, but the market had a large population, and a great many people were wearing some type of armor. The type of armor they were wearing was not even a close comparison to what she had purchased for the trip.

Alice had restrained herself when she had commissioned her new armor. She resisted the urge to have Wade find some way of fusing dragon scales and silverite together so that she could have the strength of the dragon plate armor along with the shine of the silverite. Instead she had restricted herself to some rather light dragon scale armor. She had already felt uncomfortable in it when she tried it on; she was not used to having to rely on something so light to protect her from enemy weapons. But now with her armor outstripping all of the others around her in value, she felt even more uncomfortable about it. Somehow this revelation made her feel more vulnerable than ever in the breeches and shirt that she had chosen to wear that day. She hadn't been out of the palace, _alone_ in _no armor_ since…. well since before the Blight. Her cloak billowed out around her and she pulled it tighter to herself. The feeling of air rushing around her, through her, almost, made her want to go and put on her expensive armor. But it was imperative that she stay incognito. If she was going to get the information she wanted, it would not be by announcing herself as the Queen of Fereleden.

She ducked her head and pressed on, following the trickle of people to Hightown. She felt slightly better about her choice in clothing as she walked through the courtyard that held the Hightown market, but almost everything she had brought with her was towards the pricier end of the things that the people were wearing here. It surprised her, Ferelden was not a particularly wealthy nation and it was known for its more functional approach to things than its "style". But it appeared as though Kirkwall had fallen on some hard times and people were not able to afford such nice things anymore. Though, she could see the Orlesians were better than ever with their bright colors and ridiculous accessories.

Alice slowed her pace after moving through the Hightown market. She was unsure of where to go from here. Alistair had said that Hawke had regained her estate in Hightown, but she had no idea where that would be. She was sure she could ask around to find it, but that would bring attention to her that was unnecessary. So Alice resolved to wander until she found some indicator of Hawke's residence. It couldn't be that hard, the wealthy district seemed rather small. She patted Cookie's head and set off in the direction her gut said would lead her to Hawke's estate.

It turned out Hightown was slightly bigger than it appeared. The sun was starting to fall behind the tall buildings surrounding her when she spotted a crest that looked vaguely like a hawk. She looked around her before approaching the building, but no one paid her any attention. Alice reached the doorway and saw a plaque that was partly obscured by vines. She pushed them gently away from the metal, reading the family name engraved on it. Amell. Amell? Hmm. She took a step back from the house, blowing out her breath in frustration. Just when she thought she was close—a memory interrupted her thoughts. Alistair saying something about Hawke and the Amells. A relation. Her mother! Hawke's mother was an Amell, notable because an Amell the Ferelden Circle.

An Amell had been among the defending mages during the Crisis of the Circle. Sadly, that Amell also died during the Crisis, but that didn't have much of a bearing on the current situation. Alice grinned. She inspected the estate before her and allowed herself to be impressed. She strode up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. She knocked one final time and waited. Alice wasn't the most patient person in the world, but the amount of time she waited for the door before her to open was more than enough. Time for plan B. Alice only hoped this really was Hawke's home.

"Here boy." She cooed and Cookie came closer, his eyes bright. "Good boy." She smiled and untied her bag from the back of his collar. She rummaged through it until her hand closed on the smooth leather pouch she had been looking for. She sent up a silent prayer to the Maker that this would work and she wouldn't get caught and she wouldn't make a fool of herself and she would be able to do this and… Alice drew a deep breath and centered herself. She could do this. She flipped open the top of the pouch and took in the small tools strapped inside. What had Zevran said? The hook and the… what? Oh, the flat one. She retrieved said tools and tucked the pouch into her waistband. Then she turned her attention to the door before her. One final prayer and deep breath. She carefully inserted the lock picks into the door in front of her. She wiggled them around for a little while and then tried the door handle. It was still locked. She stood up for a second to stretch her back, then set to work with a little more concentration than before. She bit her lip then closed her eyes, hoping that somehow this would help her to pick the lock.

"Whoa there beautiful, whatcha up to?" Alice's eyes snapped open and she froze, very aware of the blade beneath her chin. A dwarf was standing off to the side of her, looking at her curiously. Then he turned.

"Hey Hawke, look what I found." That was not the way Alice had intended on meeting the Champion of Kirkwall.


	4. A Reunion of Sorts

_I own **nothing**. BioWare owns all. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>A Reunion of Sorts<p>

She turned as well and caught sight of a dark haired girl a few feet away. She tucked her bangs behind her ear as she looked over at them. She was flanked by two other people it seemed, but Alice couldn't see what they looked like.

"It seems like someone wants to get your attention." The dwarf looked over at her again, a little suspicion now mixed in with the curiosity.

"Oh Varric, put the knife away." Hawke sighed, coming closer. Varric did so reluctantly, but he kept his gaze on Alice's face. Alice tried to regain her composure, straightening her clothes and clearing her throat. Hawke stood before her now, with a guarded look on her face.

"May I help you?" She asked. Alice smiled and replied.

"I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I was looking for an old, um, friend." Hawke raised an eyebrow at this.

"Well, Hawke does seem to collect people who are wanted elsewhere…" The dwarf was silenced by a short look from Hawke. Hawke returned her attention to Alice for a second before glancing around the square.

"Would you like to come inside?" She asked, a quiet smile on her face. This again, was not exactly how Alice had wanted this to go. She had hoped for a quick meeting than an escape to a tavern or something.

"I suppose." She replied and followed Hawke into the now unlocked estate.

They settled themselves in a rather fancy sitting room. Alice tried to take in her surroundings as inconspicuously as possible, but it was a bit hard not to stare. Hawke must have had a fortune to afford all of that stuff. Tea was brought out and Alice accepted it gratefully in an effort to find what she wanted to say.

"So who did you come looking for?" Hawke said after taking a sip from her tea. Alice swallowed and decided to improvise.

"Well, I heard that you have an Anders in your… employ?" She grimaced inwardly at the lack of grace in her sentence. Hawke's eyes narrowed.

"And what do you need from him?"

"I just wanted to check in. It's been a while since I last saw him and I… wanted to catch up." Alice hoped it didn't sound too suspicious.

"Uh-huh. And you aren't with the Templars?" Alice laughed out loud. It didn't seem to convince Hawke.

"Oh, Maker no. They've never done me any favors."

"Is there a name I should send?" Hawke stood, looking at Alice for an answer.

"Just say that I know him from Amaranthine." A shadow passed across Hawke's eyes as she nodded and left the room. Alice adjusted her position in the chair, getting ready for a long wait. That's always how things worked in the court, so she expected no less from Hawke. Instead, the door opened a few moments later. Alice looked up and met Anders' gaze for a moment before he turned to leave the room again.

"Wait! Anders!" Alice jumped up and rushed out after him. Hawke, Varric and a woman wearing guardsmen armor looked up in surprise as they exited the sitting room.

"I won't come back with you." Anders said, making for the door out of the estate.

"You don't have to come back." He turned slightly, looking at her with undisguised loathing.

"Then why are you here?" Alice stopped in the middle of the room, almost at a loss.

"I wanted to check in. See how you were."

"Why should you care?" The hostility was palpable. Their audience watched with interest, almost like it was a duel.

"Come on Anders, we were friends once. I thought you were dead," Alice gestured at him a little hopelessly. "Obviously you faked it. Again." Anders turned to face her in full, crossing his arms across his chest.

"What do you want then, if you aren't here to collect me?"

"I wanted to, I don't know; tell you that you're all set. I won't pursue you. Not that you really needed that I suppose." She smiled. "You seemed to have settled down, let yourself get a life." He seemed unimpressed. Alice blew out her breath.

"What happened to you Anders? You were so much fun back in Amaranthine. Your humor had an uncanny resemblance to Alistair's…" She pinched the bridge of her nose. Varric stirred, his eyes bright.

"Blondie has his fair share of problems these days." Anders glared at him, while Alice merely looked in his direction. "You know, Justice and—"

"Shh!" Anders hissed.

"Justice? Oh, I suppose for mages and all that." Alice waved it away. "You have to let that go." He frowned.

"But about this Alistair you mentioned…" Varric began.

"Varric !" Hawke said, slapping his arm.

"Anything else?" Anders said, eyebrows raised.

"Just… good luck I suppose. Enjoy your freedom. And lighten up I guess. I never expected you to end up like this, you were so… what's the word… **lively **in Amaranthine. Get that back." Alice shrugged. "Find another cat." She smiled at this last comment, though it died on her lips as she took in Ander's expression.

"I appreciate your concern, your Majesty," he said quietly, "but I'm doing fine. Now, if you'll excuse me." He inclined his head and left. Alice sighed and turned away from the audience behind her. All was quiet for a little while.

"You're the Queen of Ferelden, aren't you?" Varric asked, excitement barely contained in his voice. Alice turned, a slight smile on her lips.

"I suppose my cover is blown now so… your statement would be correct." Then she looked at Hawke. "Do you have anything to drink here?" Hawke nodded and moved off into a different room.

"You're going to regret telling him that." The woman who appeared to be a guard said. "He likes to tell stories."

"And this will be the best of all! The Queen of Ferelden attempts to break in to the Champion of Kirkwall's estate! She meets with a moody mage and they have a passionate discussion that hints at a romantic past." Alice snorted at this. His face fell for a second before he turned to the woman.

"By the way Aveline, how did none of your guardsmen catch the lovely queen? I thought they were better trained than that." Aveline frowned and stepped around the dwarf. She approached Alice, a hand extended.

"Your Majesty, I am guard Captain Aveline Vallen. This is an immense pleasure." Alice smiled kindly and shook the extended hand.

"Please, just call me Alice. All of that formality might make me gag." Varric chuckled while Aveline inclined her head.

"You seem incredibly like your husband, Alice. Would it be wrong of me to ask so soon about your—"

"Varric!" Hawke scolded. She gave Alice an apologetic look. "Here," She handed Alice what looked to be a glass of wine. "I don't have anything stronger in the house."

"The Hanged Man has a wide variety of strong drink." Varric chimed in as Alice drained the glass. "If we go there I could get the whole story of you and your husband's…" Hawke's look caused Varric to trail off. "Fine, fine. I'll get the story later." He pouted. Hawke looked with concern at Alice.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Alice shrugged.

"I was going to stay at the tavern." Hawke frowned. Varric perked up at hearing this.

"Well in that case, I'll show you the way. It's getting late and I'm sure you could use a good rest." He walked to the door. Hawke held up a hand.

"Why don't you stay here, at least for tonight?" Alice considered for a moment. Then she shook her head.

"No, you don't need to go through the trouble."

"It's no trouble." Alice saw Varric deflate out of the corner of her eye. Then he straightened up.

"Stay here." He said honestly. Alice considered him, trying to find his angle. "Hawke is a bit lonely since her mother died." Hawke cleared her throat at this statement. "Besides, I'll be here bright and early tomorrow. I have an interview with the Queen of Ferelden." He winked before leaving. Alice turned back to the two women before her.

"I guess that means I'll be staying here." She smiled. Hawke's face brightened. She turned to Aveline.

"Stay for dinner?" Aveline seemed to agonize over the question.

"Donnic will be expecting me but… All right. It's been a while since we've had a good chat." She looked over at Alice. "And how can I pass up some gossip with the Queen of Ferelden?" The women chuckled as Hawke led them to the dining room.


	5. The Tourist

_I'm sorry this took so long for me to post, but life got in the way along with a little writer's block. _

_This chapter is a bit long, but I didn't know where I could shorten it up! :)_

_I own **nothing**. BioWare owns all. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>The Tourist<p>

It was near midday. The door to Alice's room opened without a sound and someone snuck inside. Alice sighed in her sleep and rolled over, snuggling deeper into the blankets. Then the curtains were ripped away from the windows and sunlight flooded the room.

"Rise and shine, princess!" Varric said rather loudly. Alice didn't really react. She frowned and mumbled something into her pillows and turned away from the sunlight that was streaming in her face. Varric watched her patiently, waiting for those blue eyes of hers to open up and for her to awaken. It didn't happen. He sighed in frustration and moved closer to the bed. He was just about to shake her awake when he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and a dagger was at his throat.

"Oh, Varric. It's only you." Alice sighed in relief. She released him and set the dagger beside her. She ran a hand through her unruly curls as she tried to pull herself together. Varric was looking at her suspiciously, wondering how she could have known he was about to touch her when she hadn't even reacted to his other wake up call.

"Sorry." She shook her head. "Warden stuff. Some habits die hard." She stretched her arms and yawned before settling back into her pillows.

"Yes, I would suppose so." Varric was still considering her, a thousand new questions buzzing around his head. Then his face brightened and he went over to the desk situated in a corner of the room. He brought back a tray loaded with food. "Breakfast?"

Alice smiled and reached for the food before her expression shifted. Instead she pulled her blankets up around her.

"Why are you here?" It had just struck her as how inappropriate this was. If she had known Varric for a little bit longer perhaps… Though it would still be borderline improper simply because Alistair was not anywhere in the vicinity. She had a few rules to maintain while visiting Kirkwall solely because her trip was not completely official. She would not be visiting any political figure-heads while she was here and if she was found out, it would be better if it looked like a vacation than if it looked like she was visiting a lover. Her eyes became guarded as she looked at Varric. He had witnessed her thought process, but couldn't fathom what it was about.

"I told you I had an interview with you last night. Or did you drink too much to remember that?" Alice colored a little at this statement. There had been a lot of drinking last night. She had found her companions to be good company and could see new friendships on the horizon. It was a double bonus for this trip, meeting the driving force behind the city and becoming friends with her. It would be helpful to have a friend in such a volatile part of the world.

"No, I remember. But why are you here, in my bedroom?" She felt awkward saying that. No one was allowed in her bedroom, ever. Except for Alistair, though he rarely visited her there. She usually did the visiting. Varric shrugged.

"Hawke wouldn't wake you, so I decided to. I have things to do you know, people to see, stories to tell, trades to make." He picked up an apple from the tray and took a huge bite out of it. He offered her the tray again. "Breakfast?" Out of resignation, Alice was just reaching for it again when Hawke burst into the room.

"Varric! What are you doing?" He looked back at her with a toothy grin on his face.

"I have an interview with the Queen of Ferelden, remember? I was just being friendly before the interview started, that's all." Hawke looked past him at Alice, trying to judge her expression. Alice nodded almost imperceptibly and Hawke made her move. She took Varric's shoulder and dragged him away from Alice's bed and towards the door.

"The Queen would like to prepare herself properly for your interview. Come back a little later in the afternoon and she'll be ready for you."

"But Hawke I—"

"Have things to do, people to see, trades to make, and stories to tell, I know." Hawke finished his sentence for him. "Come back later and we'll fit in your interview."

"Oh, come on Hawke—"

"Nope that's it. That's how it's going to be." Alice couldn't see them anymore; she could only here their conversation.

"Elia. Please."

"Varric. Please."

There was a grumpy sigh.

"What time would you like her to be ready?"

Another heavy sigh.

"I'll be back in another couple of hours, around midafternoon. I would give you a more specific time, but I _am_ a busy guy."

"Thank you Varric. I love you." Hawke crooned.

"Oh please, Hawke. You know I'm already taken. Bianca would be very hurt if she knew about this." Next, Alice heard what appeared to be a scuffle and then a noise of disgust.

"I can't wait to do this again sometime!" Hawke said over her shoulder as she re-entered Alice's room. She scrubbed a hand across her mouth and made a face. "The best way to get rid of that dwarf is to land a on kiss him. It's about the only way I know how to get rid of him. It's just too bad that he never seems to expect it. Anyway, he'll be back later. Are you hungry? I believe lunch is just about ready and I can have them add some breakfast items if you like." Alice took in the woman before her. She was so young and had so much responsibility. Just like during the Blight, when she herself had been thrust into the leadership position. Alice really liked her. She would need to get the life story to see how exactly alike they were. She smiled.

"I'll be right down." Hawke bowed her head then left the room, closing the door behind her. Alice closed her eyes and prepared herself for the awful action of getting out of bed.

Alice entered the dining room and took in the spread before her. She couldn't believe that Hawke had managed to pull together enough food to rival that served in Denerim. She didn't even know there was that much food in Kirkwall. No one else was around, so she helped herself to some food and seated herself midway down the table, away from the door. She felt odd, sitting there eating alone and wearing what she had worn the day before. She hadn't brought much in the way of clothing and she wasn't sure where Cookie had wandered off too. He had been in charge of her bag, as silly as it sounded. She was just about to take the first bite of her oatmeal when someone entered the room. She stopped, her spoon half way to her mouth, and watched. He was a young man, a bow strapped on his back with shining white armor. He peered around, looking for something or someone, his bright blue eyes scanning quickly across the room. He didn't seem to notice her at first. She shrugged after a few seconds and continued to eat her food. She couldn't help him if he didn't see her.

"Oh." The quiet remark made Alice jump. Some Warden she was. She looked up. The man was looking at her and bowed as she returned his gaze. "I didn't notice you. I apologize. I am… Sebastian." He stood in a defensive sort of way, as if she would attack him. She swallowed, waiting for him to continue. "Have you seen Elia? I was to meet her this morning." Alice coughed as politely as she could to clear her airway as she registered his question. Elia, huh? First names meant a lot. She wanted some details on this relationship.

"No, sorry. I saw her a little bit ago, but I don't know where she is now…" Alice's voice trailed off.

"There you are!" Hawke came into the room from a door that Alice hadn't seen until it opened. It must have been a servants' door or something. "Are you ready? I'm going to give you a tour of the city today." Hawke was beaming. She hadn't noticed Sebastian yet.

"Elia?" Sebastian said quietly, moving into the room a little bit more. She turned her expression blank for a second before she blushed.

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?" She moved closer to him, placing a hand on his arm before she snatched it away just as quickly. Alice put her spoon on her plate and sat back in her chair. She was intrigued. Sebastian looked down at his arm where Hawke had touched it before he continued.

"We were supposed to meet today, remember? In the Chantry, to discuss…" He looked over at Alice before lowering his voice. "To discuss the…preparations?" Hawke's blush deepened and she glanced at Alice before returning her gaze to Sebastian.

"Sorry. I got caught up…" Her tone changed. "As you can see, I have a visitor." She stood back from Sebastian and swung an arm out to present Alice. Alice had the urge to put her face in her hands.

"This is the Queen of Ferelden, Alice Cousland-Theirin." Alice felt herself sink in her chair slightly at this announcement. What a compromising situation to find the Queen of Ferelden in, eating her breakfast in the previous day's clothes. Not that Sebastian would be able to tell, but it still irked Alice. He seemed stunned for a moment, perhaps at the state in which he had found her or maybe just with the fact that he had acted so casual around her. To his credit, he recovered quickly and bowed low to her, muttering something proper that Alice quickly dismissed from her mind.

"Please, continue your conversation. No need to worry about me. I'll just…" She looked around as she stood. "Eat in my room." She smiled and made for the door. Hawke looked quickly from Sebastian to Alice, trying to judge which she wanted to be with most. She placed her hand on Sebastian's arm again and looked up at him.

"Can we reschedule? Tomorrow maybe?" He slumped where he stood, obviously disappointed. Hawke's face fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect this. But she is my guest and it's the least I can do…" She trailed off as she looked up at him. He nodded after a moment.

"I understand. I'll—" He sighed a little heavily. "I'll be in the Chantry if you need me." He turned, bowed slightly to Alice then moved past her out the door. Alice watched him go, and then turned to Hawke with a wicked sort of smile.

"And who was that lovely man?" Hawke sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Sebastian Vael. He's a brother at the Chantry here and the heir to the Starkhaven throne. I met him a few years back." Alice choked on her next spoonful of oatmeal. She had heard of the turmoil in Starkhaven, but the fact that the heir wasn't even in its borders had escaped her. Hawke raised an eyebrow at her. She regained her composure as best she could. She would need details on this relationship for sure.

"I always liked princes…" She said, trying for humor. She smiled wistfully at the memories of Alistair as the rebel prince. Hawke cleared her throat, looking a little peeved. "What?" Alice asked, downing another spoonful of oatmeal. "I'm already taken, no need to worry." Hawke watched her for a second before pushing off of the wall and moving to the table to grab an apple from a basket. "Though I will keep my eye on him," Alice muttered under her breath. "He's yummy." Hawke turned back to her.

"Sorry?"

"I asked where my dog went." Alice covered her tracks with a real question of hers.

"You're mabari? He's probably with Teddy somewhere." Hawke whistled and Alice squeezed an eye shut at its pitch. She'd need to learn that. They were quiet for a minute, both listening for the telltale sound of claws scratching across the floor toward them. Instead they heard a rather loud thump and then barking which grew louder as the dogs approached the dining room. There was a flurry of paws and tails as the dogs fought to be first through the doorway.

"Teddy!" Hawke yelled over the barking, moving closer to door.

"Cookie, come here boy." Alice said, setting her bowl on the table. She didn't raise her voice at all. "Cookie, you won the race." One of the dogs separated and bounded toward a now crouched Alice. His whole back end swayed in unison with his tail wagging. He pounced at her and began to lick her face. She grimaced slightly and pulled away, rubbing his back. "Who's the fastest mabari in Thedas? Who is it?" Alice crooned and Cookie barked in response. The other mabari, Teddy, stood in the doorway watching and looking confused. Hawke also watched in confusion as Cookie moved in for another bout of licks for Alice's face. Alice looked up as she detoured Cookie's affection by scratching behind his ears.

"Cookie?" That was Hawke's only question. Alice shrugged.

"I got him when I was three and a half. I didn't know too many words and lacked some creativity." Hawke nodded and looked over at Teddy who was giving her the saddest face she'd ever seen.

"Come here." She said with a smile and he trotted over, nuzzling her cheek. She glanced over at Alice again who had managed to calm Cookie down and was talking quietly to him. He hung on every word then promptly left the room.

"How did you do that?" Hawke asked, patting Teddy's back as she stood.

"I've had him for a long time. We have a good system of communication." Alice smiled and looked down at Teddy. "So you're Teddy? Nice to meet you." She squatted down to his level and offered her hand. Teddy looked at it tentatively before he took a quick sniff. He retreated slightly, moving closer to Hawke.

"How long have you had him?" Alice asked standing and grabbing her oatmeal.

"Ummm, not as long as you've had Cookie." Hawke strained to think. "Since I was twelve maybe? Father found him in the woods and brought him home. Bethany named him even though he stuck close to me." Alice nodded appreciatively.

"A family dog then? Very nice. Cookie was never one for the—" There was a crash from outside the doorway. "Domestic life." Alice made a face. "Sorry." She stepped toward the door and was about to call for her dog when he raced into the room, a bag clutched between his teeth.

"That's my boy!" Alice held out a hand and Cookie dropped the bag into her outstretched fingers. She looked to Hawke as she set the bag on a nearby chair. "What should I dress for?"

"A tour of the city, Hightown for sure, and probably part of Lowtown. The Hanged Man for sure. That's where Varric will want to conduct your interview. Over drinks, of course." Alice just looked at her. Hawke shrugged in response. "Dress casually, I suppose."

"And armor?"

"Not necessary. I'll have some friends tag along with us so there will be plenty of protection from idiots who may try to pull something." Alice wasn't very reassured.

"Idiots who may try to pull something? I thought you were the Champion of this city." Hawke shrugged, taking another bite of her apple.

"To most of this city, the title of Champion only means that I have a larger purse to cut." Alice just stared. Armor it was then.

"Mind if I…?" Alice gestured toward the door, her bag in hand.

"Go ahead. I need to get this all cleaned up anyway. I'll meet you in the entryway." Hawke grabbed a few plates of food and made for the servant's doorway, Teddy following her. Cookie looked up at Alice expectantly.

"Shall we find a place to clean up?" He barked in response and Alice ventured out into the house in search of her room.

Alice seriously wondered sometimes how she ever survived the Blight because her sense of direction was awful. She had thought she'd found the room she had stayed in the previous night when instead she had found a room that looked like it hadn't been touched in at least three years. She only realized it wasn't hers when she saw the perfume lined vanity with a robe around the chair and slippers ready on a rug nearby. Not wishing to intrude or get caught by the owner of the room, she quickly left and stumbled upon a bathroom. She left Cookie to guard the door and got herself ready. The armor was a perfect fit and she was starting to relax when she remembered how she would look out in the open. She shook her apprehension off, too late now to change anything. She had put up a brave fight, but it was a hard secret to keep. The fact that there were definitely more people in Kirkwall who knew her true identity than she had ever intended to know was only going to lead to political meetings and suspicions at this point. She might as well blow her cover now, on (mostly) her terms before someone else decided to spin tales. She emerged from the bathroom ready to go, her dagger strapped to her hip. She managed to find her way to where Hawke was waiting, also in armor.

"I thought you said casual…?" Alice's voice trailed off. Hawke looked her guest up and down before shrugging.

"I figured I'd try to help you blend in a little. It won't be as hard as I thought." Alice was startled by this, feeling a little stuck up by her judgment of her armor based on others. Hawke continued. "I can pass you off as some fancy foreign ambassador, which I suppose you are, sort of. I'll try not to let any real politicians near you though considering you don't speak our language…" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Hawke blushed a little. "Just making a back story. Something I picked up from Varric I guess. Are you ready?" She turned to unlock the door, revealing two wickedly long daggers on her back.

"Do you, per chance, have any more deadly weapons like those? I wasn't allowed to bring mine." Hawke turned slightly, looking a little confused.

"Sure, in the study." As if Alice knew where that was. Hawke showed her the way and stood a bit off to the side as Alice inspected the in-home armory. When she had finally settled on a thin blade and sturdy shield, Hawke made a surprised noise as if some idea just struck her.

"Care to share?" Alice asked as she fastened the shield to her back and sheathed the sword underneath it.

"You're awful attempt at picking my lock." Alice didn't respond, waiting for elaboration. "You don't have deft hands." Alice was a bit offended at this.

"You have no idea if I do or don't have—"

"If you did, you could do this." A dagger was at Alice's throat. She was just moving away from it when it disappeared again. Hawke smiled.

"Don't worry, there's loads of things that you can do that I can't. And I'll teach you some things if you want. I'll get you picking the lock of my front door in a heartbeat." Alice just stared. "Or not. Whichever you prefer. We should really get going though, Varric will get antsy and start telling stories if the tour takes too long." As Hawke left the room, Alice found that the Champion of Kirkwall was becoming one of her best friends.


	6. Just to be Safe

_Hello again. This is turning into an update-a-year type of thing. I'm so sorry. Life hasn't given me very much time to work on this and my memory is bad so when I do remember, I promptly forget. I'm really hoping that I can work on this more frequently in the future, so bear with me if you're still around!_

_I own **nothing**. Bioware owns all._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Just to Be Safe<p>

They emerged into the early afternoon sunlight and Hawke strode purposefully off towards the Chantry. Alice felt her excitement level rise the closer they got to the building. Would she meet the dashing prince of Starkhaven again? Then Hawke took a sharp left towards more mansions. Apparently not. Unless the prince had his own mansion… They stopped in front of a dilapidated sort of mansion and Hawke knocked. After a short pause, she opened the door and entered. Alice followed a little warily, looking around her and taking stock of exits and rooms, spaces for someone to lie in wait to jump her. They didn't get too far into the mansion before a tall figure materialized out of the darkness in front of them. He was slim and muscular, tattoos running all across his exposed skin.

"Fenris. Are you ready to go?" He nodded solemnly. Hawke turned around, making eye contact with Alice for a moment before leaving the mansion. Alice looked this Fenris up and down before following Hawke out. He didn't budge from where he stood as Hawke left and he held himself as if he were on edge, ready to fight at any moment. It unsettled Alice, but she dealt with it and focused on following Hawke out into the streets and plazas of Kirkwall. They back tracked to the Chantry and Alice felt her hopes begin to rise again. Would the prince be picked up now? But Hawke marched right past the stairs that led to the Chantry and headed for some other stairs that led to a far darker and sinister place.

"So is this all part of the tour?" Alice asked as they continued downward into murky darkness. She could barely make out Hawke's shrug.

"I wanted to pick up some people before we went touring. Just to be safe." Alice couldn't really argue with that when they were in a dingy, creepy tunnel. They emerged into a grubby sort of square lined with beggars.

"Welcome to Darktown. This is where most of the Ferelden refugees end up when they come here." Hawke looked straight ahead as she said this, fixating on their destination. Alice couldn't help but stare. This is what became of her people, _their _people? There had to be some type of solution for this, some way to help these people out of their impoverished state.

"How did you get out?"

"What?"

"How did you get out of Darktown?" Hawke's shoulders seemed to tighten up at Alice's question.

"I smuggled." Hawke said bluntly. Alice was taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"Officially it was indentured servitude. One year. I worked for a smuggler. That's how I got out of here. Stayed out is more accurate I suppose. Gamlen was… kind enough to house our family for a while." Hawke's voice was pained. Alice couldn't believe it.

"So these people have two choices: crime or begging?" Hawke didn't answer the question. "Maybe I should make this an official visit." Alice grumbled to herself. Hawke had stopped outside of a small building with lanterns hanging by the door. She rapped on the door and waited. The door opened and a mage slipped through, gently closing the door behind him. He turned around and Alice's stomach fell. Anders. His expression told the story that he was feeling the same thing. His gaze flew to Hawke.

"You can't be serious."

"I need my best to guard her, so yes I'm serious. You're our healer. I need you for this." Hawke's tone left no room for argument. Anders's face was still cloudy, but he came over and stood by Alice anyway.

"I'd rather be guarding _her_ than simply travelling with the mutt." He muttered under his breath.

"What did you say, mage?" The elf snarled from behind them.

"It's not your concern." Anders retorted sparing a glance for Alice before Hawke led them away from Anders's home. They emerged back up in the Chantry plaza when Hawke stopped. She looked up at the imposing building, biting her lip. Alice knew the prince was bound to join them soon. Alice willed Hawke to walk up those steps and grab the prince and bring him with them on their adventure. Instead, Hawke led them in the opposite direction, through all of Hightown into Lowtown. Alice recognized some of the buildings from her trip up through Kirkwall. They navigated their way through a bustling plaza to what appeared to be a pub. It was packed, even though it wasn't that late in the day. Hawke disappeared from sight soon after they entered the bar and Alice made a move to follow but Anders held her back.

"You don't want to get mixed up in that crowd," he said. Alice glanced around and couldn't help but agree. She couldn't spot a single friendly face or familiar head in the bar. Anders's grip on her arm slipped down to her wrist. She stilled as his fingers brushed against her palm. He led her toward the actual bar, pushing the patrons aside with his free hand. Alice kept her breathing steady, trying not to focus on the feeling of his hand on her wrist. When he reached the bar, he dropped her wrist and ordered a pint. Alice just stood there, not knowing exactly what happened next; Hawke was lost in the crowd.

"Did we really come here to drink?" She asked Anders as she waved the barman over. He shook his head, mid-sip. He gestured to something in the middle of the bar; she couldn't make out what it was because it was surrounded by people.

"I'm guessing Hawke came to get Isabela," he said. Alice didn't reply, choosing to try the contents of her tankard. She grimaced slightly and decided it could have been worse. Then she coughed and dragged a hand across her mouth, ignoring the way Anders's head whipped around and the amount of concern on his face as he studied her to make sure she was still breathing.

"Then why are we here?" She patted the scarred and stained counter. Anders shrugged, turning back to look at the mob of people at the middle of the bar.

"I wanted a drink," he said nonchalantly. Alice narrowed her eyes at the back of his head before shifting her attention to the center of the room. Some of the people had filtered away and she could make out the shock of white hair that belonged to the elf and Hawke's dark hair. Hawke looked to be in an argument of some sort with the woman who was seated at the table, boots propped up by a bottle of ale. The woman looked slightly familiar, the way she held herself as she laughed off something that Hawke had said. That tan skin, the bangles hanging from the woman's arm, the daggers strapped to her back… What was so familiar? She filed through her memories when it hit her. The Pearl. Zevran and this woman were quite friendly when they had seen each other. Alice had wanted an introduction and…

"Isabela." Alice said under her breath with an edge to her voice. Anders turned slightly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You know her?" He asked. Alice sulked, taking a gulp from her mug and then grimaced.

"I met her during the Blight. She robbed me blind in Wicked Grace before I caught on to the fact that she was cheating." She pinched her nose and closed her eyes at the memory. Anders chuckled at her expression. "I'd like to see you do better." Alice replied, taking another swig from her mug.

"Oh, I don't do any better." Anders smiled at her then turned and set his mug back on the bar. The corners of her mouth quirked up in an almost smile; the Old Anders was beginning to show through a little bit.

"We best be off, Hawke won't like that I've stopped for a drink." Anders muttered and glanced behind Alice. She looked back at where Hawke and Isabela had been, but the table was empty.

"This way." Anders said, leading her through the mob of people to the door again. Hawke was standing by the entry, looking a bit annoyed when they emerged from the crowd.

"Well you've started early," she said with a pointed look at Anders. He ducked his head. She turned her attention to Alice.

"This should be enough people." She looked around her little group with affection, a smile pulling at her lips. "Now, let's show you all the wonders of Kirkwall."


	7. This is a Public Service Announcement

_Hello all._

_I just wanted to let you guys know that until further notice, updates on this fic will be postponed. I know that I haven't been super great in updating it before, but I just recently read the last chapter that I uploaded and I've decided that I want to take this fic in a different direction. I realize that a lot of you really enjoy this fic, I do too, but I feel that I've grown a lot as a writer and with the release of Inquisition; I owe it to this fic to do some work and make it the best it can be. That said, I will do my best to make revisions and update it relatively soon. I'm at the end of my semester currently and the next month is going to be crazy, however I will try to work on this as much as I can. This was the first fic that I uploaded to this site and I thoroughly appreciate all the support it's gotten from the beginning. So please, stay with me if you feel like it's worth it. If not, I understand. If you are looking for some other things to read, I've uploaded a bunch of shorts lately and I'm sure there'll be more coming soon. As always, thank you so, so, SO, much for your support and I hope to see you guys again after I do some work on this story._

_-xXThePrincessXx-_


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